NYC BigApps 3.0, the third annual BigApps competition from New York City, challenges software developers to help improve the City with creative new apps that use city data. NYC BigApps is an ongoing series of challenges to engage developers and the public, furthering the City’s goal of becoming a leading innovator and early adopter of new technology. BigApps highlights the City’s open data initiative, increasing accessibility and transparency by incentivizing individuals, teams, and organizations to create new tools for mashing up, disseminating, organizing, and visualizing city data. BigApps supports NYC’s technology community by celebrating and fostering new ideas and apps. Past winners have received extensive exposure for their work, leading to new investment and business opportunities.

This year’s competition will include new data, prizes, and resources. New York City is providing nearly 750 data sets for use in the competition. Winners will receive $50,000 in cash prizes, as well as a wealth of opportunities to network with and receive support from leading investors and tech entrepreneurs. New prize tracks have been added to award the best category apps in green, health, education, and mobility; and the best mashup app utilizing an API from a participating NYC startup. Prizes will be awarded based on the quality of the idea, implementation of the idea, and potential impact (see the Official Rules for details).

NYC BigApps is open to U.S. residents ages 16 and over, as well as legally registered organizations (with fewer than 50 employees) domiciled in the U.S. Employees of the City of New York and NYCEDC (and their immediate families) can compete for a separate City Talent Award. Submissions can be any kind of software application — for the web, a personal computer, a mobile device, SMS, or any software platform broadly available to the public. Submissions must (1) be original software applications solely owned by the entrant(s); (2) use at least one of the data sets found on NYC Open Data; and (3) be free to the public throughout the competition and for at least one year afterward (see the Official Rules for complete submission requirements).

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$50,000 in prizes

Best Overall Application - Grand Prize

Opportunity to demo at NY Tech Meetup
App with the highest overall scores

Best Overall Application - 2nd Prize

App with the second highest overall scores

Investor's Choice Application

App with the best potential for commercialization

Best Mobility Application

App that enhances urban mobility, making it easier to get around NYC

Best Green Application

App that best encourages green behavior, improves environmental sustainability education, and/or reduces users’ environmental impact

Best Education Application

App that best serves as a learning tool, improves educational access, and/or highlights NYC education resources/trends

Best Health & Safety Application

App that best encourages healthy behavior, aids health education and understanding of health trends, and/or improves access to healthcare resources

Best NYC Mashup

Best overall app utilizing both NYC Open Data and an API from a participating NYC company

Best Student Award

Best app developed by full-time student(s)

City Talent Award

Recognition prize for New York City employees and their immediate family members

Popular Choice Award - Grand Prize

Opportunity to demo at NY Tech Meetup
App receiving the most public votes

Popular Choice Award - 2nd Prize

App receiving second highest number of public votes

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

How to enter

  1. Create an account on 2011.nycbigapps.com or log in with an existing ChallengePost account.
  2. On 2011.nycbigapps.com, click "Follow" to register your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.
  3. Explore the available data sets on NYC Open Data, and also check out the Developer Resources. Create a working software application that uses at least one New York City data set from NYC Open Data.
  4. Between Oct. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. EST and Jan. 25, 2012 at 5 p.m. EST, submit your application: (a) Confirm that you have read and agree to the Official Rules, and (b) Submit your application by including a link, video, text description, and image of your working application.

Note: It's important to include a video of your app. Some people may not have access to your app platform and will rely on the video. Be sure to create a video that clearly and concisely shows the functionality and purpose of your app, as well as the data used.

Judges

Dawn Barber

Dawn Barber
Co-founder, New York Tech Meetup

John Borthwick

John Borthwick
Founder & CEO, Betaworks

Alex Diehl

Alex Diehl
Managing Director, BMW iVentures

Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon
CEO & Co-founder, Hunch

Esther Dyson

Esther Dyson
Chairman, EDventure

Stuart Ellman

Stuart Ellman
Co-founder & General Partner, RRE Ventures

Charlie Kim

Charlie Kim
Founder and CEO, Next Jump, Inc.

Lawrence Lenihan

Lawrence Lenihan
Founder, CEO and Managing Director, FirstMark Capital

Carole Post

Carole Post
Commissioner, NYC Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications

Danny Schultz

Danny Schultz
Co-founder & Managing Director, DFJ Gotham Ventures

Naveen Selvadurai

Naveen Selvadurai
Co-founder, Foursquare

Kristy Sundjaja

Kristy Sundjaja
Senior Director, Head of Industry Transformation Department, Center for Economic Transformation, NYCEDC

Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher
Co-Executive Editor, All Things Digital

David Tisch

David Tisch
Managing Director, TechStars

Fred Wilson

Fred Wilson
Managing Partner, Union Square Ventures

Judging Criteria

  • Quality of the Idea
    Including creativity and originality
  • Implementation of the Idea
    Including user experience and design
  • Potential Impact
    On New York City residents and visitors
  • Potential for Commercialization
    This is only for the Investor's Choice Award

Tell your friends

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.